Week 2 highlights

1. Watching four chickens be slaughtered at the orphanage. It was the South African version of an assembly.

2. Going on a safari in the Fairy Glen reserve! I saw lions, zebras (including a baby!), a random donkey, disgusting ostriches, buffalo, elephants, and rhino! The giraffes died a few years ago =(.

3. Hearing about the poor rhinos.

In December a poacher went onto the reserve and cut their horns off. Apparently a rhino horn is worth 65,000 dollars per kilo of horn. The rhinos were left to die, but luckily were found by park rangers the following day. Out of over 300 rhinos that were poached in early December, these are the only two survivors. Both of them are blind and defenseless =(. It was really sad to see.

4. Eating off of a giant plate of meat at Mzoli's in the Gugulethu township! I also got to see where they prepare the meat - It's basically a meat sauna and it was like heaven.

5. Going to the Methodist Church of South Africa. It reminded me of Sister Act =).

I'm excited for the week ahead!

Highlights from the trip to Cape Town

1. Going on a trip to Robben Island where every person on my tour felt the need to take a picture of/with every single thing and then also video tape everything with running commentary (ie. "This is the bucket where Nelson Mandela disposed of excrement).

2. When a man hit on my friend Sarah by saying, "I thought you were pretty until you opened your mouth... but can I still have your number?" (She has a pretty thick Australian accent.. but it's cute!)

3. Going on a bike ride that our tour guide told us was going to be 46km and ended up being 5km. 

4. When the seal man at the seal colony slapped a baby seal and it rolled down the rocks.

5. Seeing a penguin that had poop all over his chest just standing there looking sad and ashamed. 

6. Hearing the story of how Terese was pick pocketed getting into the last cab of the night, but the man only stole her concealer. 

Annnnnd my highlight of the day today.. 

When a child threw a half eaten chicken foot at me... That's a first! 

Great times!  

The orpahange

I started working at the Ikhaylathemba orphanage yesterday! I am in charge of working with the children with special needs. I work with two children with CP, one child with FAS, and then five other children who have undiagnosed disabilities. All of there needs are very severe.. There are three kids that I have communication goals for, but many of the others just need care and attention. I also have been working with the babies and toddlers! There is one baby who is the chunkiest thing I have ever seen and all she wants to do is lay around with a bottle hanging out of her mouth.. I love the kids!

Gordon's Bay is beautiful (even though it's extremely hot here.. today was 48 degree celsius which I didn't even know was possible) I am permanently sweating! I can't wait to post some pictures from my trip!

Unpack and Repack my Bags

Today I spent the whole day in London! I went to the Burough market and had a duck sandwhich and I went to Buckingham Palace to see if I could spot any royalty! (no such luck)... I feel like I essentially spent 50 £ to eat a duck sandwhich.

Yesterday when I was going through security in Newark I realized that I put all of the scissors that I planned on donating in my carry-on (genius).. In the US the conversation went something like this:
"Oh, you have seven pair of scissors? That's cool! Get right on"... "oh, but wait, you're shirt is sequined so we're going to have to pat you down anyway.."
.. Makes no sense

In London the conversation went more like this:
"Whhhattt.. this girl has seven pair of scissors!!"
"Excuse me maam.. can you empty the contents of your bag"
I shamefully empty my entire bag of school supplies while the security man calls me a weirdo and everyone stares (because seriously who carries on a whole bag of school supplies except maybe a creeper)...
After I'm done emptying my whole bag the man goes, "Oh, okay, you can keep the scissors... and have fun putting your bag back together!" and then walks away...

Lucky for me childrens scissors are barely sharp enough to cut paper let alone cause a puncture wound!

One more flight until Africa!

The one where I pack my bags...

Now that I'm officially done with graduate school (thesis defended and comp exam passed (i think..)), I'm excited to go to Africa!

One thing I learned is that packing for summer is significantly easier than packing for winter. I was able to fit everything I need for the month in one suitcase!

And I even have room to spare! 

Another thing that I learned is holding South African Rand makes me feel like I'm about to play Monopoly. 

The last thing, I learned on my last trip to Italy... Always pack spare clothes in your carry on! The I Love New York sweatpants they have in the airport don't compliment many outfits. You never know when you're going to sit in airport garbage water. 

See you later America! 

The one where I get shots...

Yesterday I got all of my shots for Africa... including a shot I was pretty certain I would not get this season (flu shot). Before going into the doctor at Vandy, I had to call my doctor (that I've seen one time) in NJ to get a list of all the shots I have already had and the dates that I had them. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi, I'm not sure if you're my doctor, but if you are can you tell me what shots I've had?"

Doctor: "Sure, let me get your chart."

Then, she starts reading off all of the shots and dates...

Me: "Wait... April 23, 2011? I don't think I was home then..."

Doctor: "Oh wait, what's your name? Sorry.. I'm reading the wrong chart."

So, I'm still not 100% positive that I got all of the right shots, but I'm pretty confident that a flu shot, hepatitis A shot, and typhoid shot was all that my poor arms could handle in one day. 

All that I have left to do is get a criminal background check... good thing my name isn't Stephan Garcia. 

-Elyse

The one where I decide not to have a stockpile...

Ever since Lindsay Giroux taught me to coupon, I have gathered a large amount of school supplies! Since I do not want to end up storing them under my children's bed's one day, I decided this would be a perfect opportunity to use something I learned how to do to give back to the community. Until I leave for Africa, I will be collecting school supplies! I am going to donate half of the supplies to the orphanage in Africa and the other half to a local school in need of supplies. Here is what I have so far!

·       12 tubes of glue

·       169 pens

·       23 pencils

·       4 highlighters

·       8 sharpies

·       2 glue sticks

·       7 rolls of tape

·       4 packs of colored pencils

·       1 pack of markers

·       8 packs of crayons

·       7 pairs of scissors (Thanks Lindsay!)

·       4 pencil sharpeners

·       136 erasers

·       and 2 packs of notecards!

I am thinking about hosting an ice cream party in Nashville this December to gather more items to bring with me! I can't wait to surprise the Nceduluntu EduCare Centre with this gift in January! 

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